Gallery Talk + Film Screening: Every Line Becomes a Circle

The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis partners with the 35th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival to present a gallery talk and film screening event that explores the world of contemporary art through a cinematic lens. In collaboration with the Goethe-Institut St. Louis, the event celebrates the importance of artistic expression to creative aging. 

The evening begins with a gallery talk exploring the exhibition of Counterpublic 2026 artist Juanita McNeely. Following a welcome reception, scholar Dr. Brian D. Carpenter and director/producer Lynnette Luis will engage in a gallery conversation with CAM Director of Learning and Engagement Michelle Dezember about McNeely’s epic Triskaidekaptych (1986), creative aging, and the value of artistic practice and appreciation for health, resilience, and wellbeing. The evening continues with a screening of “Every Line Becomes a Circle,” a documentary following 93-year-old German artist Inge Besgen’s decades-long persistence to find herself in post-war Germany and become an artist in her 50s despite many setbacks. Taken together, the evening explores how life’s experiences—especially memory, pain, and reckoning—take on deeper significance and power when explored through painting and abstraction.

This event is free and open to the public. Complimentary food is provided, and drinks are available for purchase.

View event schedules and details.